Massively http://massively.joystiq.com Massively http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Massively http://massively.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Making the 'jump' from Guild Wars to Guild Wars 2]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/26/making-the-jump-from-guild-wars-to-guild-wars-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/26/making-the-jump-from-guild-wars-to-guild-wars-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/26/making-the-jump-from-guild-wars-to-guild-wars-2/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Black Citadel Forest, Guild Wars 2
The second Guild Wars 2 press beta weekend has come and gone, and Massively was there every step of the way. Stay tuned throughout the day today for even more guides, impressions, videos, and Q&As to get you ready for the highly anticipated sequel to Guild Wars.

Guild Wars 2 is on the way (when it's ready), and classic Guild Wars players probably understand that soon they'll be competing with a younger sibling -- a smarter, more attractive one who's sure to get more of mom's attention. And while we're sure that some of the more stalwart Guild Wars 2 fans are also Guild Wars players, not all veterans of the first edition are dedicated to licking up every drop of sequel info squeezed out of blogs, conventions, and betas. Those veterans might just be wondering, what exactly can Guild Wars 2 offer them, other than Hall of Monuments tie-ins? What's changed? What's the same? What will they love, what will they hate, and what could possibly make them jump ship to the new hotness?

The first and most important thing you must know is that yes, you can jump in Guild Wars 2! Seriously, though, jumping is more than just a thing you do with your spacebar when you're bored; it's a symbol of boundlessness. Guild Wars 2 itself is trying to jump a lot higher than its elder brother, and probably the essential difference between the games is that feeling that the walls have come down and gravity is letting loose. That alone should urge classic players to take a peek, but if that's not enough for you, fire up your Jeremy Soule soundtracks (yes, he's onboard for an encore!) and read on...

Continue reading Making the 'jump' from Guild Wars to Guild Wars 2

MassivelyMaking the 'jump' from Guild Wars to Guild Wars 2 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 26 Mar 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anetarenanetauction-hallbetacash-shopcharacter-creationclosed-betaclosed-beta-3comparisondeathdeath-penaltydungeonsdynamic-contenteconomyendgameeye-of-the-northfantasyfeaturedgeargemsgroupgroupingguideguidesguild-warsguild-wars-2guild-wars-2-betaguild-wars-2-guideguild-wars-2-previewguildsgvggwgw2hall-of-monumentshands-onhominterfacejumpjumpingloremap-travelncsoftpreviewpreviewspropheciespvpquestsrenown-heartrmtsidekickingskill-pointtrading-posttyriauiuser-interfaceworld-vs-worldworld-vs-world-vs-worldwvwwvwvwMon, 26 Mar 2012 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Darkfall specializes magic schools, replaces death with limbo system]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/10/darkfall-specializes-magic-schools-replaces-death-with-limbo-sy/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/10/darkfall-specializes-magic-schools-replaces-death-with-limbo-sy/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/10/darkfall-specializes-magic-schools-replaces-death-with-limbo-sy/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Darkfall
Aventurine continues its trek toward Darkfall's game revamp, aka Darkfall 2.0, and in a new producer letter, Tasos Flambouras drops a few interesting info nuggets to tide loyal players over until the job is done.

He states that the team is retuning each of the game's eight schools of magic so that each one feels more unique and focused. For example, air magic will be specialized to do more damage in close quarters against fewer targets, while fire magic will excel at long-distance AoE attacks.

The team also thinks it has figured out this pesky "death" problem by coming up with a more interesting limbo system. The way it works is that when players are taken down, they have a choice between either respawning back at a bind stone or waiting for a timer to count down to zero and initiate a respawn on the spot. If players opt to endure the limbo period, they can re-equip their characters from their bank boxes.

Aventurine continues to hire on new team members for the project, including a designer who will facilitate communication between devs and the community.

MassivelyDarkfall specializes magic schools, replaces death with limbo system originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aventurinebankbank-boxesdarkfalldarkfall-2.0death-penaltydeath-systemdev-diarylimbolimbo-systemmagicmagic-schoolsproducer-letterproducers-letterrespawnschools-of-magicTasos-FlambourasFri, 10 Feb 2012 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Pathfinder Online takes a look at death]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/18/pathfinder-online-takes-a-look-at-death/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/18/pathfinder-online-takes-a-look-at-death/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/18/pathfinder-online-takes-a-look-at-death/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Death is frequently preceded by sneering disdain at the concept of dying to lizardmen.
No matter what happens, sooner or later you're going to die in an MMO. It's pretty much a given. So it's probably for the best that the fourth developer blog on Pathfinder Online is all about death -- what happens when you die, what happens when another player kills you, and what you can do about it.

The death system is reminiscent in some ways of what would happen on death in EverQuest. You respawn at a predetermined location, and while you keep any equipment you were wearing, the rest of your inventory is on your soulless husk of a body. Retrieve it first and you get everything back. If someone else loots your body first, though, he or she gest a random assortment of items from your inventory and the rest are destroyed.

The blog entry also covers the issue of bounties, player-killing, and attempting to dissuade others from killing players in lawful regions. Players can set bounties on their killers, potentially refreshing the bounty each time said killer is successfully killed in retaliation, making a bounty hunter or group of same very rich indeed. Those interested in Pathfinder Online should check out all the details and keep watching as the game moves through development.

MassivelyPathfinder Online takes a look at death originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 18 Jan 2012 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>deathdeath-penaltydeath-systemdevelopmentdyinggame-mechanicsgoblinworkspaizopaizo-publishingpathfinderpathfinder-onlineWed, 18 Jan 2012 19:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Wasteland Diaries: PvE like a boss]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/09/23/wasteland-diaries-pve-like-a-boss/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/09/23/wasteland-diaries-pve-like-a-boss/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/09/23/wasteland-diaries-pve-like-a-boss/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

I have slain a rat
Fallen Earth PvE can be anywhere from laughably easy to downright frustrating. I guess that's a good thing since you get a gamut of difficulty levels, but much of the leveling span leans toward the easy end of the scale. I tend to get bored with PvE combat fairly quickly in MMOs (not just Fallen Earth). Other people love to struggle against the environment. Some even refuse to do anything remotely akin to PvP. I'll only throw the term "carebear" at those who think all PvPers are maladjusted psychopaths. I'm not talking about them; I'm talking about regular hardcore PvEers: players who would rather play against the NPCs than against other players.

Many of my posts center around PvP. If I didn't PvP (and since I'm not a big roleplayer), I doubt I would still be playing Fallen Earth. That's just what I spend most of my time doing in the wastelands. So I tend to write a lot about it. But all PvPers have to PvE. PvE has its own set of challenges for the player. Granted, these challenges are quite static, and once you find a way to overcome them, you are done. But they are challenges nonetheless, and knowledge is power as much in PvE as it is in PvP. In this post I will give you some tips and tricks that might help you get through that next tough mission. Much of this stuff is common sense, but it may not occur to you until it's too late. So click past the cut and let's get started.

Continue reading Wasteland Diaries: PvE like a boss

MassivelyWasteland Diaries: PvE like a boss originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 23 Sep 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>abilitiesammunitioncombatconsumablesdeath-penaltydpsfallen-earthfallen-earth-llcfeaturedgamersfirstgroup-contenthealingmeleeMissionsmobsnpcspistolpveregeneration-ratesrifleskillsFri, 23 Sep 2011 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[While waiting to rez, please see this word from our sponsor]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/29/while-waiting-to-rez-please-see-this-word-from-our-sponsor/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/29/while-waiting-to-rez-please-see-this-word-from-our-sponsor/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/29/while-waiting-to-rez-please-see-this-word-from-our-sponsor/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

AdventureQuest Worlds header
When your character dies in your favorite MMO, have you ever thought, "Gee, I'd sure like to see an ad right about now"? MMO developer Artix believes that death ads are the way to go, as they've introduced special advertising that will show up only when a character dies in their game AdventureQuest Worlds.

According to a recent interview with [a]listdaily, CEO Adam Bohn says that response has been good so far. The game network's 12 to 13 million users are happy with the ads because Artix likes to keep them fun for a younger audience.

Despite the fact that this has been done before in games like Shadowbane, and the deceased Dungeon Runners to a lesser extent, Bohn believes the ads are a good idea that they'll eventually build upon. I think if nothing else, it will make us want to die a whole lot less.

MassivelyWhile waiting to rez, please see this word from our sponsor originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 29 Aug 2011 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adam-bohnadventurequest-worldsadvertisingalistdailyartixartix-entertainmentdeath-addeath-penaltyMon, 29 Aug 2011 22:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Evolved: Upgrading to a PvP cruiser: Gallente and Amarr]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/31/eve-evolved-upgrading-to-a-pvp-cruiser-gallente-and-amarr/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/31/eve-evolved-upgrading-to-a-pvp-cruiser-gallente-and-amarr/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/31/eve-evolved-upgrading-to-a-pvp-cruiser-gallente-and-amarr/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

People come to EVE Online from many different gaming backgrounds, and for one reason or another, the game doesn't click with most people the first time they try it. Two weeks ago, I encouraged people who have tried EVE but never got it to click with them to approach the game from a new angle -- to grab a few friends and charge head-first into PvP with guns blazing from day one. In last week's EVE Evolved, I advised new players on getting into their first PvP frigate, preparing for PvP, and staying financially ahead of the inevitable ship losses. I also put together two frigate setups for each race that will fit and function well with only a few days worth of skills trained.

While frigates are fantastically cheap ships in which to learn the basics of PvP, their effectiveness on the battlefield is limited. Most tech 1 frigates struggle to deal anywhere near 100 damage per second, and if caught by enemy tacklers they die quickly. While the next step up is the destroyer class, I strongly advise PvP-oriented players to skip it and move straight on to cruisers. Although cruisers have less mobility than frigates and are easier for large ships to hit, they pack a big punch for a relatively low cost and can take a bit of a beating.

In this week's extra large EVE Evolved, I share effective and battle-tested setups for the Thorax, Vexor, Arbitrator, and Omen that new players can use with less than two weeks of skills trained. I also suggest skills to train and give a few tips for keeping costs down. If you're a fan of Minmatar or Caldari ships, tune in to next week's EVE Evolved for the continuation of this article.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Upgrading to a PvP cruiser: Gallente and Amarr

MassivelyEVE Evolved: Upgrading to a PvP cruiser: Gallente and Amarr originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 31 Jul 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>arbitratorccpccp-eveccp-gamescruiserdeath-penaltyeveeve-ccpEVE-Evolvedeve-mmorpgeve-onlinefaction-warfarefactional-warfarefeaturedguidenew-player-experiencenew-playersnyphuromenpvpship-fittingsthoraxvexorSun, 31 Jul 2011 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Evolved: Learning to let go]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/17/eve-evolved-learning-to-let-go/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/17/eve-evolved-learning-to-let-go/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/17/eve-evolved-learning-to-let-go/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Bombarded by the epic stories emerging from EVE Online's colossal social sandbox, thousands of MMO addicts per month give in to temptation and pick up a free trial. Most drop the trial for one reason or another, but those who continue on to a full game subscription often fall into a common trap. Some enjoy the concept of the game enough to subscribe for a month, and a portion of those get invested enough in skill plans and the mission grind to stick about for two or three months. It's rare for a new or trial player to actually get into PvP or start creating the same epic sandbox stories that drew them to the game in the first place, but this is exactly what they should be doing right from day one.

New players often spend their entire trial or first month of gameplay attempting to grapple with the enormity of EVE, absorbing as much information as they can in order to make informed decisions for themselves. It's easy to fall into the trap of thinking months of training skills and learning the basics of the game through reading or PvE will be required before you can PvP competitively or begin crafting your own epic story. I firmly believe that the real learning curve of EVE is in learning to let go of these ideas and to accept the loss of ships or items as part of the game. I believe new players need to discard their pre-conceived notions of death penalty, what skill points represent, and the idea of preparing for endgame.

In this week's EVE Evolved, I look at how EVE is actually very forgiving for new players getting into PvP immediately, I challenge the learning curve myth, and I encourage new pilots to drop themselves into EVE at the deep end.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Learning to let go

MassivelyEVE Evolved: Learning to let go originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 17 Jul 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>advicealliancealliancesccpccp-eveccp-gamesdeathdeath-penaltyendgameeveeve-ccpeve-evolvedeve-mmorpgeve-onlinefeaturedheistlearning-clifflearning-curvenyphuropinionpoliticspvpsandboxscamskillskill-trainingskillstheftveteranSun, 17 Jul 2011 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Prime: Battle for Dominus releases new game info, dev chat coming tomorrow]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/14/prime-battle-for-dominus-releases-new-game-info-dev-chat-comin/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/14/prime-battle-for-dominus-releases-new-game-info-dev-chat-comin/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/14/prime-battle-for-dominus-releases-new-game-info-dev-chat-comin/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Yay, sci-fi MMO news! If that doesn't twirl your beanie, how about this: Three-faction sci-fi MMO news! Yes, Pitchblack Games has sent out a new press release, and we're here to tell you that it features some pretty spiffy stuff.

First up is a bunch of website updates for Prime: Battle for Dominus, including backstory and info on the game's 11 explorable worlds. Pitchblack has also put together a combat update, and juicy details include info on the game's death penalty, looting, targeting, and more.

Last but not least is the first official Prime dev chat, and the shindig is scheduled for this Friday, July 15th, at 3:00 p.m. EST. The chat will be available via live stream and will feature co-designers Warren Weems and John Kennison. Head to the official Prime website for more.

MassivelyPrime: Battle for Dominus releases new game info, dev chat coming tomorrow originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 14 Jul 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3-factiondeath-penaltydev-chatlivestreamlootinglorepitch-black-gamespitchblackpitchblack-gamespress-releaseprimeprime-battle-for-dominussci-fithree-faction-pvpworld-loreThu, 14 Jul 2011 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Final Fantasy XIV removing old penalties and adding a couple new ones]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/14/final-fantasy-xiv-removing-old-penalties-and-adding-a-couple-new/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/14/final-fantasy-xiv-removing-old-penalties-and-adding-a-couple-new/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/07/14/final-fantasy-xiv-removing-old-penalties-and-adding-a-couple-new/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

The Fatigue system was one of the most hated features of Final Fantasy XIV before the game had even hit release. Even though it was almost impossible to hit the mythical point where you started getting less experience, nobody liked the idea of having your gains cut when you were having fun. So there will be few tears shed when the entire system is removed in patch 1.18, which has already promised a number of sweeping changes to the game's functionality.

Of course, it's not all about making life easier for players, as both the death penalty and Return option are seeing their functionality tweaked. Previously, players would sometimes die and use Return to avoid an anima cost while still making a fast trip somewhere. As of the newest patch, using Return to revive will incur a small durability penalty, offset slightly by the improvement of the Raise spell. Final Fantasy XIV players can check the official release for details on the slight rearrangement of penalties, aimed at keeping gameplay more dynamic and active.

MassivelyFinal Fantasy XIV removing old penalties and adding a couple new ones originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 14 Jul 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>deathdeath-penaltyexperiencefatigueffff14ffxivffxiv-patch-1.18final-fantasyfinal-fantasy-14final-fantasy-xivlevelingnewspenaltiessquaresquare-enixupdatesThu, 14 Jul 2011 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[TERA's PvP features light death penalty]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/06/teras-pvp-features-light-death-penalty/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/06/teras-pvp-features-light-death-penalty/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/06/teras-pvp-features-light-death-penalty/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

The TERA news beat has fairly quiet recently. Aside from the Korean server merges, there hasn't been a whole lot new to report regarding the exiled realm of Arborea. Fansite TERAPvP to the rescue, then, courtesy of an interview with En Masse community manager Evan "Scapes" Berman.

The interview is brief, and if you've been the following the game closely, you've probably heard most of this before. For casual fans, or those just getting wind of all things TERA, there are a few interesting PvP nuggets that might be worth your time.

First up is the question of character transfers between PvE and PvP servers. TERAPvP points out the balance issues inherent in allowing players to level (and gear up) their characters on a PvE server before moving them to a PvP shard. Berman doesn't give a definitive answer as to whether this will be allowed or not, saying that it's something En Masse will "have to evaluate for TERA." Friendly fire is also a no-go in TERA's PvP combat, and there is no experience loss or item degradation. As Scapes says, "items in TERA do not have a durability mechanic."

MassivelyTERA's PvP features light death penalty originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 06 Jun 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blueholebluehole-studiodeath-penaltydurabilityen-masseen-masse-entertainmentevan-bermanexperience-lossfriendly-fireinterviewpvpscapesteratera-onlineMon, 06 Jun 2011 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Game Archaeologist sees The Shadow of Yserbius]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/31/the-game-archaeologist-sees-the-shadow-of-yserbius/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/31/the-game-archaeologist-sees-the-shadow-of-yserbius/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/31/the-game-archaeologist-sees-the-shadow-of-yserbius/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Really, I blame my parents for not being filthy rich. If they were, we could've afforded the $130/month unlimited subscription fee to the ImagiNation Network (INN) back in the early '90s. Just think! All of the gaming, the socializing, and the roleplaying that you could handle -- for such a low price! I mean, sure, there were hourly options, but who'd want to play for a mere five hours a month?

So instead of becoming part of a growing online community, I had to be content with my SNES and copy of Chrono Trigger -- hard times, indeed. Sometimes I think how my life would've been different if we had subscribed to Sierra's colorful online world, because I would've had a chance to get in on one of the first graphical MMOs: The Shadow of Yserbius.

It was a step forward in graphic quality from the text-only MUDs of the day but perhaps a step backward from the complexity that many MUDs brought to the table. Still, for a few shining years, it entranced thousands who lined up to delve dungeons deeply alongside their friends (and a couple of complete strangers with odor disorders).

Today we're going to take a quick peek at one of the first MMOs that stepped into the realm of lush color and animations and see what made The Shadow of Yserbius so enduring.

Continue reading The Game Archaeologist sees The Shadow of Yserbius

MassivelyThe Game Archaeologist sees The Shadow of Yserbius originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 31 May 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2.5-d3-daolbarbarianchrono-triggerclericdeath-penaltydnddungeondungeon-crawlerdungeon-crawlingdungeons-and-dragonselvesEn-li-Kilfeaturedgremlinsguildguild-hallhalflingsimagination-networkinnknightmagemudmudsneverwinter-nightsorcsshadow-of-yserbiussierrasierra-onlinesnesThe-Fates-of-Twinionthe-ruins-of-cawdorthe-shadow-of-yserbiusthieftrollswarriorwizardyserbiusTue, 31 May 2011 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Wasteland Diaries: Don't fear the reaper]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/22/wasteland-diaries-dont-fear-the-reaper/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/22/wasteland-diaries-dont-fear-the-reaper/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/22/wasteland-diaries-dont-fear-the-reaper/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Dying in Fallen Earth is not much different than it is in most other games. It's usually just a temporary setback or a very minor inconvenience. But for some, it seems to be more than that. In this week's Wasteland Diaries, I would like to ponder what might go through the mind of a gamer when he takes a dirt-nap in-game. In the past few decades I've spent playing PC games, I've seen some pretty over-the-top reactions to dying. I've tried to infer what might be going through some of these extremely emotional people's minds when they buy the farm. Various death penalties evoke wildly different emotions in general, so I'll start there.

When you die in Fallen Earth, you lose all of your current non-stance buffs. Most buffs can be easily re-applied, except for your food, drinks and other consumables. It's still not a major loss, especially now that food and drink components are ultra-cheap. If there's nobody around to rez you, you must respawn at the cloner and take a 5% durability hit on your equipped gear. It's still not a big deal. And you'll get cumulative cloning sickness, which can get pretty nasty, but you have to die a lot in a short period of time to warrant tier five. And the sickness only lasts five minutes. After the cut, I'll delve deeper into the plight of the struck-down avatar and try to determine what it all means.

Continue reading Wasteland Diaries: Don't fear the reaper

MassivelyWasteland Diaries: Don't fear the reaper originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 22 Apr 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>buffscloner-sicknessconsumablesdeathdeath-penaltyfallen-earthfallen-earth-llcfeaturedfpsicarusicarus-studioslifenetmmorpgplayer-lootingpvprespawnshooterFri, 22 Apr 2011 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Funcom hints at Secret World death penalty, sabotage missions]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/05/funcom-hints-at-secret-world-death-penalty-sabotage-missions/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/05/funcom-hints-at-secret-world-death-penalty-sabotage-missions/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/05/funcom-hints-at-secret-world-death-penalty-sabotage-missions/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

All is very hush hush around Funcom's The Secret World. While a good bit of new info surfaced at last month's GDC, there are still more questions than answers regarding the firm's followup to Age of Conan.

That said, occasionally the devs will dangle a tasty morsel, and in a new interview at Game Snafu, Funcom designer Martin Bruusgaard does just that with regard to TSW's death penalty mechanics. "We will not implement a death system that can be exploited as a fast travel system, because dying in The Secret World should be a sign of failure, and not optimization in any way. We don't want to punish the players in a form where they can lose stuff, neither items nor experience, but rather penalize on time," he explains.

Designer Joel Bylos also chimes in with some interesting bits about the game's questing mechanics, chief among them a hint about new sabotage missions. "These missions share a similar gameplay style to the original Deus Ex game -- avoiding security cameras, disabling traps and hacking computers, etc. Generally the traps are dynamic only in the sense that players can disable/enable them in the world. This becomes interesting when other players can accidentally trigger an alarm in the camp you are sneaking through," Bylos says. Check out the full interview at Game Snafu.

MassivelyFuncom hints at Secret World death penalty, sabotage missions originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 05 Apr 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>conspiraciesdeathdeath-penaltyfuncominterviewjoel-bylosmartin-bruusgaardmissionssabotagesabotage-missionsskill-basedthe-secret-worldtswTue, 05 Apr 2011 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Perfect Ten: Death penalties]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/24/the-perfect-ten-death-penalties/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/24/the-perfect-ten-death-penalties/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/24/the-perfect-ten-death-penalties/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Death penalties belong in that tier of MMO discussion topics that is reserved for the most controversial subjects, along with skimpy armor and the New Game Enhancements. Death, as we know well, comes for us all with big, nasty, pointy teeth. But for some reason, we are not fans of it, neither in real life nor in online games.

One of the reasons death penalties continue to be a divisive subject is that they used to be brutal beyond belief in MMOs back in the olden days of yore. As the MMO genre progressed, the penalties were lightened and experimented with in an effort to avoid driving players barking mad because of them. So we've ended up with two camps: one group of gamers who campaign for harsh death penalties to make the world seem exciting and dangerous, and another group that campaigns for lenient penalties in the interests of sanity.

So today we're going to go through 10 of the most-used types of death penalties in MMOs, starting with the most brutal and ending with the most lenient. Stay for the after-column party as well, as you'll get a taste for this debate in the comments section!

Continue reading The Perfect Ten: Death penalties

MassivelyThe Perfect Ten: Death penalties originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanaoccity-of-heroescohdarkfallde-levelingdeathdeath-penaltiesdeath-penaltydelevelingdiablo-2diablo-iidofuseveeve-onlineeverquestfeaturedfinal-fantasy-11final-fantasy-xigrim-reaperguild-warsgwhot-pocketitem-repairjedinew-game-enhancementsngeparagon-studiosperfect-10perfect-tenpermadeathpermanent-deathporchepre-trammelresurrection-sicknessrez-sicknessskimpy-armorstar-wars-galaxiesthe-perfect-10the-perfect-tentrammelultima-onlinexp-debtThu, 24 Mar 2011 15:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Damion Schubert philosophizes about SWTOR's death penalty]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/26/damion-schubert-philosophizes-about-swtors-death-penalty/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/26/damion-schubert-philosophizes-about-swtors-death-penalty/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/26/damion-schubert-philosophizes-about-swtors-death-penalty/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Nothing in the world is certain, except death and taxes. The same is true for video games. If there is a game in which you don't fail completing a mission at least once, then it is probably too easy. We know "death" is going to happen, so how a game designer handles this death penalty can make or break a player's fun -- and ultimately the success of the game. Damion Schubert, Lead Combat Designer for Star Wars: The Old Republic, jumped on the SWTOR official forums today to discuss his philosophies behind the game's death penalty.

He believes that the penalty for failure has to be balanced. If it's too harsh or too light, it is no longer fun for the player. There should be a separation between challenge and punishment, according to him. "I would rather our challenges be gated by whether or not you have the skill, the gear, and the teamwork to succeed than whether or not you have the credits and/or time to wait out the forced downtime in between, you know, the fun part," Schubert explains in the post.

Catch the whole discussion on the official forums and let us know what you think.

MassivelyDamion Schubert philosophizes about SWTOR's death penalty originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 26 Jan 2011 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>BioWaredamion-schubertdeathdeath-penaltyEAElectronic-ArtsI-want-to-liveLucasArtsStar-Warsstar-wars-the-old-republicswtorthe-old-republictorWed, 26 Jan 2011 19:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Irreverent confession: An interview with Faxion Online's UTV True Games]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/13/irreverant-confession-an-interview-with-faxion-onlines-utv-tru/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/13/irreverant-confession-an-interview-with-faxion-onlines-utv-tru/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/13/irreverant-confession-an-interview-with-faxion-onlines-utv-tru/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

You're dead -- so sorry, chap! Fortunately, that doesn't mean your gaming adventures are over. On the contrary, according to Faxion Online, they've just begun. In the world of Limbo, players are pulled between the forces of heaven and hell as they fight each other through the physical manifestations of the seven deadly sins.

Curious about Faxion Online, we sat down with UTV True Games to discuss the deep issues of beta, religion and epeens.

Massively: How's the progress toward closed beta coming along?

UTV True Games: It's coming along at an insane pace. The team is focused and beating away at the long list of tasks that loom before us all prior to launching beta as well as the game. We are working on zones, abilities and items, along with wrapping up features and tightening the nuts and bolts of various aspects of the game. The team was able to catch their breath over the holidays a bit, so it's going to allow us to have a good strong kick to the finish.

Continue reading Irreverent confession: An interview with Faxion Online's UTV True Games

MassivelyIrreverent confession: An interview with Faxion Online's UTV True Games originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 13 Jan 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Buddhismcash-shopchristianitydeath-penaltyf2pfaxionfaxion-onlinefeaturedfree-to-playgallerygo-to-hellheavenhellinterviewitem-shopjudaismleaderboardslimbomulti-classpurgatorypvpscientologyseven-deadly-sinsseven-heavenly-virtuessinstime-vs-moneyUTVutv-true-gameswestboro-baptist-churchThu, 13 Jan 2011 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Ten levels of RIFT: A guide to your first day in Telara]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/22/ten-levels-of-rift-a-guide-to-your-first-day-in-telara/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/22/ten-levels-of-rift-a-guide-to-your-first-day-in-telara/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/22/ten-levels-of-rift-a-guide-to-your-first-day-in-telara/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

With two RIFT beta events under my belt, I was given the supreme honor of creating a guide to the first 10 levels of the game. Naturally, I fell apart under the stress, assumed the fetal position for a couple days while whimpering about "frame rates," and then was prodded into action by our editors. That's quite literally "prodded," mind you -- Massively purchased a pair of cattle prods last year at a police auction. It's going to be years until the scorch marks fade from my spine.

The purpose of this guide is two-fold. First, we want to give anyone who's interested in RIFT but couldn't get into the beta a chance to vicariously experience RIFT's newbie path. Second, while RIFT is careful to hold your hand during your first steps into Telara, there are always a lot of things that can be easily missed while one is partaking in the wonders of a new virtual world. So this guide is here to share a few tips and pointers that beta testers may have missed.

What are you waiting for? Roll up a new character by hitting the jump!

Continue reading Ten levels of RIFT: A guide to your first day in Telara

MassivelyTen levels of RIFT: A guide to your first day in Telara originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 22 Dec 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>achievement-systemachievementsarchetypeArchetypesbeginner-zonebeginner-zonesbeginners-guidebetabeta-eventcattle-prodcautiouscharacter-creationcharacter-creatorclassclericclosed-betacritter-tearsdeathdeath-penaltydefianteq2eqiieverquest-2everquest-iifirst-ten-levelsguardianguideleveling-guidemagenewbie-experiencenewbie-guidenewbie-zonesporticulum-masterracial-abilitiesracial-bonusesracial-traitsriftrift-planes-of-telararoguesoulsoul-attunementsoul-systemsoul-travelsoul-vitalitysoulstelaratriontrion-worldsuiwarriorWed, 22 Dec 2010 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Hands-on with Rift: Planes of Telara at Gamer Day II]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/16/hands-on-with-rift-planes-of-telara-at-gamer-day-ii/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/16/hands-on-with-rift-planes-of-telara-at-gamer-day-ii/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/16/hands-on-with-rift-planes-of-telara-at-gamer-day-ii/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

As part of its recent Gamer Day event, Trion Worlds invited Massively back to its studio for another look at Rift: Planes of Telara. Having now been to two of these Gamer Day events, I can say without a doubt that last week's was the more festive -- the player-community leaders and swarm of devs certainly made the whole experience much more wild than the first and reminded me that I was supposed to be having fun (not just studiously taking notes for you lovely readers, although I did that too!).

Since this was my second day-long hands-on with the game (the first being last summer when I got to check out Rift's dynamic content), I thought it best to focus on two areas: improvements to systems I'd seen before, and totally new elements I hadn't seen at all (like the Guardian starting zone, PvP, UI enhancements, Deepstrike Mines, and several new souls including Riftblades, Bards, and Wardens!). Follow along after the break for my second impressions of this MMO that continues to surprise me with its glittering shine of polish.

Gallery: RIFT: Core Gallery

Continue reading Hands-on with Rift: Planes of Telara at Gamer Day II

MassivelyHands-on with Rift: Planes of Telara at Gamer Day II originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 16 Nov 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alphabardbattlegroundsbooksclericCollectionsdeath-penaltydeepstrike-minesfactionsfeaturedFirst-Impressionsgamers-dayguardianhands-onhealinghousinginstancesnewbie-zonesnicholas-mcdowellopinionprestige-rankpvpriftrift-planes-of-telarariftbladescott-hartsmansecond-impressionSoulsstarting-zoneswimmingtriontrion-worldsuser-interfacewardenwarfrontwarfrontswater-mageTue, 16 Nov 2010 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: What do you do when things turn south?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/06/the-daily-grind-what-do-you-when-things-turn-south/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/06/the-daily-grind-what-do-you-when-things-turn-south/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/06/the-daily-grind-what-do-you-when-things-turn-south/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

There's a crucial tipping point in any sort of party scenario when it becomes obvious that the situation is going badly. More to the point, there's a moment when you realize that every single person in the party is likely to die in short order. In some games such as Final Fantasy XI, death is a fairly major penalty; in other games, such as World of Warcraft, death is not much more than a slight inconvenience.

But even if death results in nothing more than respawning a few seconds later in Star Trek Online, when the group is together, people can act differently. So what do you do? Do you try to take enemy attention so that your fellow party members can get away? Do you make a run for it, figuring that whatever's coming for you will eat someone else first? Or do you try to go down with guns blazing and make as much of a dent as you can?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: What do you do when things turn south? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 06 Sep 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>deathdeath-penaltydyingff11ffxifinal-fantasy-11final-fantasy-xigroupingopinionpartyparty-mechanicspenaltiesrespawnsstar-trek-onlinestotdgthe-daily-grindworld-of-warcraftwowMon, 06 Sep 2010 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[First Impressions: LEGO Universe's Gnarled Forest]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/19/first-impressions-lego-universes-gnarled-forest/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/19/first-impressions-lego-universes-gnarled-forest/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/19/first-impressions-lego-universes-gnarled-forest/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Yarr matey, are ye lookin' for more information on NetDevil's upcomin' MMO, LEGO Universe, then we've got a treat for you today! In an interesting move, the team at NetDevil has decided to drop the NDA one zone at a time, thereby allowing us to give you some early impressions of the game while it's still in beta. With that said, I must reinforce that due to the game being in beta, some of this may well change. Nonetheless, the story should still hold true -- and it's a story chock full of pirates, monkeys, bananas and other bizarre things you might expect to find in a place called the Gnarled Forest.

Before we start, I should perhaps explain a bit about the game's known back-story for those who haven't been watching too closely. The idea is that this dark force known as Maelstrom Energy (that's the weird purple glowy funk you see spread throughout these screenshots) has corrupted certain parts of the LEGO universe, and it's your job to help stop it. In the case of the Gnarled Forest, ships full of pirates touched down on the nearby beach and after adventuring into the forest, found large cracks in the ground that contained glowing purple crystals. Being pirates, they figured the glowing purple crystals were probably valuable gems. So, they greedily stuffed them into their pockets and treasure chests, only to wind up witless, mutated minions of this dark force.

Curious? Join me for more on LEGO Universe's Gnarled Forest behind the break, and be sure to check out the screenshots in the gallery below too!

Gallery: First Impressions: LEGO Universe

Continue reading First Impressions: LEGO Universe's Gnarled Forest

MassivelyFirst Impressions: LEGO Universe's Gnarled Forest originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 19 Jul 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bananabetacollection-questsdeath-penaltyfeaturedfifirst-impressionsgazillion-entertainmentgnarled-forestlegolego-universemaelstrommonkeynetdevilninjaspiratepiratesquick-buildMon, 19 Jul 2010 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Revelations of Gipat goes live for Allods Online]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/07/revelations-of-gipat-goes-live-for-allods-online/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/07/revelations-of-gipat-goes-live-for-allods-online/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/07/revelations-of-gipat-goes-live-for-allods-online/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

It was President Franklin Delano Roosevelt who said, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." While it would be more than three-quarters of a century after that when Allods Online was released, he certainly could have been referring to the Fear of Death penalty that caused quite a bit of fear and rage among players. But that tortured analogy no longer applies, as today sees the release of the newest patch for the game, Revelations of Gipat, which removes Fear of Death for good and puts a new death penalty into place.

For many of the game's players, removing the unnecessarily cash-shop-based penalty would be enough to make the patch laudable. But as was revealed when the team released the patch notes last week, the update also sees the addition of a new zone, a raise in level cap, and new content for everyone to enjoy. After the marathon maintenance session, Allods Online is live again and ready for play -- it's worth checking out, even if the size of the patch might scare you off. You can also check out our gallery, showing off some of the new content players can expect as well as mounts.

Gallery: Allods Revelations of Gipat gallery

Gibberlings on a mountA campsiteZalmar the twisted, a new boss

MassivelyRevelations of Gipat goes live for Allods Online originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 07 Jul 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>allodsallods-onlineallods-patch-1.1.0allods-revelations-of-gipatannouncementsastrum-nivaldeath-penaltiesdeath-penaltygala-netgalleriesgipatgpotatolevel-capmountsnew-patchnew-zonespatchpatch-dayrevelations-of-gipatWed, 07 Jul 2010 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Lost Pages of Taborea: PvP culture]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/05/lost-pages-of-taborea-pvp-culture/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/05/lost-pages-of-taborea-pvp-culture/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/05/lost-pages-of-taborea-pvp-culture/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


Even though I'm not a very competitive player, I sometimes like having the additional options found in PvP servers. In fact, my main character has been on one since Runes of Magic's open beta, and I've come to really appreciate the fun that can be had on it. Simply being a spectator of all the random and exciting fights has been enough to outweigh the annoyance of being a target for more than a few gankings.

RoM's fully open PvP system makes for an interesting cultural perspective in which the players create the equilibrium of peace and conflict. It may be surprising -- or not -- given the somewhat harsh rules, but life on a PvP server is a fairly peaceful experience. This week I take a look at the past and present of RoM's PvP system. What are some of the system's implementations? How have players adjusted to self-govern? Why isn't there rampant chaos? It's an interesting learning experience if you're new to RoM or you've never played on a PvP server, but it's also a great retrospective for you veterans to get involved with.

Continue reading Lost Pages of Taborea: PvP culture

MassivelyLost Pages of Taborea: PvP culture originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 05 Jul 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>death-penaltyexp-debtexperience-debtfeaturedfrogsterfrogster-interactivegankgankinggriefingguild-siegeguild-warsguildsplayer-vs-playerpvprespawnromrunes-of-magicrunewakerrunewaker-entertainmentsiege-warsspawn-pointMon, 05 Jul 2010 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Star Trek Online's Season One gets a booster shot]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/30/star-trek-onlines-season-one-gets-a-booster-shot/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/30/star-trek-onlines-season-one-gets-a-booster-shot/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/30/star-trek-onlines-season-one-gets-a-booster-shot/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

It's been three months since the launch of Star Trek Online, and the developers haven't been sitting on their hands in the interim. With the large Season 1 patch still fresh in player's minds, the team has made a quick turnaround on the followup Season 1.1 patch. While not boasting the wide-reaching expansions that the prior patch did, this patch addresses several quality of life issues, including death penalties, mission difficulty, and the dreaded "commodity missions" receiving an overhaul.

Players will have three difficulty options for battles -- Normal, Advanced, and Elite. Normal is unchanged from the present, while Advanced and Elite get progressively harder, incorporating the game's death penalties and strengthening enemies in exchange for more drops of higher quality. As a boon to players who prefer the current difficulty, Normal challenges are still free of any penalties for death.

There are also improved spoils from badge vendors, and a buff to the reward and procedures of missions asking you to ferry supplies. With an extensive list of bug fixes, balance tweaks, and small improvements, any Star Trek Online player is sure to get some benefits out of the latest patch.

MassivelyStar Trek Online's Season One gets a booster shot originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 30 Apr 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>balancebug-fixescrypticcryptic-star-trekcryptic-studiosdeath-penaltydifficultypatchpatchesseason-1.1season-oneseason-one-common-groundst-onlinestar-trek-mmostar-trek-onlinestotrek-onlineupdatesFri, 30 Apr 2010 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Online ship insurance changes to come with Tyrannis]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/30/eve-online-ship-insurance-changes-to-come-with-tyrannis/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/30/eve-online-ship-insurance-changes-to-come-with-tyrannis/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/30/eve-online-ship-insurance-changes-to-come-with-tyrannis/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

EVE Online's insurance system has been a hot topic of debate over the years. Under the current system, ships have a fixed base value calculated according to the minerals used in their production. Platinum insurance costs 30% of this base value for three months worth of coverage and if the ship is destroyed in that time, 100% of the base value in ISK is deposited into your wallet. It's a safety net designed to lower the cost of losing ships and promote PvP. The main drawback of the system is that the values it uses for minerals are fixed and haven't changed since EVE came out in 2003. The prices of the various minerals that go into a ship have changed drastically over the years but insurance costs and payouts have remained constant.

Skip past the cut for a breakdown of the problems with the current insurance system and details of CCP's new plans.

Continue reading EVE Online ship insurance changes to come with Tyrannis

MassivelyEVE Online ship insurance changes to come with Tyrannis originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 30 Mar 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ccpccp-eveccp-gamesdeathdeath-penaltydev-blogdevblogeconomyeveeve-ccpeve-mmorpgeve-onlineexpansionfeaturedgame-mechanicsgankinsurancemarketmineralmineralspvpsuicidetyrannisTue, 30 Mar 2010 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: How many deaths before you call it?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/28/the-daily-grind-how-many-deaths-before-you-call-it/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/28/the-daily-grind-how-many-deaths-before-you-call-it/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/03/28/the-daily-grind-how-many-deaths-before-you-call-it/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

The first time, okay, it happens. The second time is a bit worse, but again, these things happen to the best of us. Then comes the third death, and the fourth, and you start to wonder if you're actually playing the game or participating in some sort of bizarre computer-controlled death match where the server just wants you to go down in flames time and again. And almost everyone, in the right circumstances, will decide that it's one death too many and leave for greener pastures. In the case of games with a harsh enough death penalty such as EVE Online, even the threat of death can deter people.

We all have guidelines we use for determining when something is a lost cause, be it a group activity with friends or just a quest that doesn't want to play nice. What are yours? Do you have a set number of deaths, or something more game-specific such as losing a certain fraction of experience in Final Fantasy XI? If you're in a group, do you talk about it when you join, do you just quit when the limit is reached, or do you warn people and make excuses?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: How many deaths before you call it? originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 28 Mar 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>deathdeath-penaltyeveeve-onlineffxifinal-fantasy-xiopinionparty-wipequittingtdgthe-daily-grindtotal-wipewipeSun, 28 Mar 2010 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: A better death]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/02/27/the-daily-grind-a-better-death/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/02/27/the-daily-grind-a-better-death/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/02/27/the-daily-grind-a-better-death/#commentsFiled under: , ,

One of the biggest parts of the uproar about Allods Online is the Fear of Death mechanic, which requires players to either shell out money, wait for a long time, or wander out in the world with a nasty debuff. On the far other side of the coin, you have World of Warcraft, with a death penalty that essentially equates to "how long will it take me to run back from the graveyard" coupled with a very minor durability loss on gear. EverQuest in the old days meant slogging back to your corpse naked and potentially losing levels. City of Heroes just gives you xp debt, which can be pretty easily worked off. Death in Darkfall means someone will probably make off with your stuff.

With all the different death mechanics available in games, we thought we'd ask this morning: of all the MMOs out, what game do you think has the best death penalty option? Would you like to see more games adopt a "you'll probably lose the stuff you have with you" like Darkfall or EVE Online? Do you think having the light options in World of Warcraft is best? Let us know whose mechanics reign supreme!

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: A better death originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 27 Feb 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>allods-onlinedarkfalldeath-penaltyeve-onlineopiniontdgthe-daily-grindworld-of-warcraftwowSat, 27 Feb 2010 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: To die, to sleep no more...]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/02/13/the-daily-grind-to-die-to-sleep-no-more/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/02/13/the-daily-grind-to-die-to-sleep-no-more/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/02/13/the-daily-grind-to-die-to-sleep-no-more/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

There's one way in which MMOs universally mirror life -- in the words of William Shatner, you are going to die. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but sooner or later your character is going to expire. Unwanted aggro, environmental damage, unmatched PvP, misuse of skills, healer AFK... there are a lot of ways you can bite the dust time and again.

Of course, death in real life is a lot more permanent than that of an MMO -- but dying still carries consequences, ranging from losing your hard-won equipment to a slightly longer delay before your next level. On the one hand, harsher penalties make cheating death that much more satisfying, and they help encourage teamwork and community in hopes of avoiding that fate. On the other hand, you are going to get hit by those harsh penalties sooner or later, and it makes experimentation much less feasible when you're constantly on guard for death.

Where do you prefer a game's death penalty? Do you want to cautiously avoid falling, or would you rather get hit with a slap on the wrist so you can get back in the game quickly?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: To die, to sleep no more... originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 13 Feb 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>deathdeath-penaltydyingequipment-damageequipment-lossexperience-lossopinionpenaltytdgthe-daily-grindSat, 13 Feb 2010 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Diagram shows real-world cost of losing ships in EVE Online]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/02/08/diagram-shows-real-world-cost-of-losing-ships-in-eve-online/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/02/08/diagram-shows-real-world-cost-of-losing-ships-in-eve-online/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/02/08/diagram-shows-real-world-cost-of-losing-ships-in-eve-online/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Whether you play EVE Online or not, the chances are you've read a lot about the harsh, cut-throat universe of New Eden. Alliances routinely clash over territorial disputes, spies work to destroy organisations from the inside and death is an inevitability. While dying in most MMOs means respawning at some far-away camp and having to repair your gear, death in EVE is a somewhat more vicious affair. When your ship is destroyed, whether it's by NPCs in a particularly tough mission or pirates hunting in a low security system, it's gone for good. While insurance will provide a sum of ISK to help with the loss, you'll need to re-buy a new ship and all the equipment that went on it. This would be like having to buy a new set of armour every time you die in World of Warcraft; a scary notion.

For the denizens of New Eden, losing a ship is a strictly in-game financial loss but for those that don't play EVE the scale of those losses can be hard to grasp. Jump On Contact tackled this issue head-on recently with a handy chart showing the rough value of EVE ships in both ISK (the in-game currency) and US Dollars. The prices show the sheer scale of the losses incurred in large battles and are based on a player buying game time codes for cash to be sold in-game for ISK. A fully geared battleship, one of the most common types of ship for players to own in the game, comes out as being worth approximately $10 US Dollars. Most ships fall somewhere between $1 and $13 but perhaps most shocking is the price of a fleet-ready titan, which is estimated at $7600. The next time you hear about a titan being killed or a fleet of capital ships being wiped out, perhaps this chart can help show the sheer scale of that loss.

MassivelyDiagram shows real-world cost of losing ships in EVE Online originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ccpccp-eveccp-gamesdeathdeath-penaltydiagrameconomyeveeve-ccpeve-mmorpgeve-onlinejump-on-contactshipstitanMon, 08 Feb 2010 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: What death do you usually not talk about?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/25/the-daily-grind-what-death-do-you-usually-not-talk-about/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/25/the-daily-grind-what-death-do-you-usually-not-talk-about/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/25/the-daily-grind-what-death-do-you-usually-not-talk-about/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Characters die. It's not usually a permanent thing, but MMOs are kind of built on the premise that your character is going to die at some point, since something hitting you until you hit zero hit points and then wandering off out of boredom removes the flavor of the game. More often than not, when you die, there's no real shame involved. It's just a muttered curse word at worst and then whatever you have to do to get back into the game again, ranging from running back to your corpse to trying to get your level back to apologizing to that megacorporation.

However, there are certain deaths -- getting eaten by a goobbue, for instance -- which you privately agree to just not talk about.

What death do you remember that's so embarassing, silly, or unnecessary that you normally don't mention it? Maybe you really should have known better beforehand, maybe you just find the circumstances too humiliating, or maybe it still makes you annoyed to even think about it. Whatever the case, today is the day to share your death stories -- and we've all got them. What's the story you wouldn't tell on any other day?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: What death do you usually not talk about? originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 25 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>accidentsanecdotesculturedeathdeath-penaltyhumoropiniontdgthe-daily-grindSun, 25 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The space after death in Allods Online]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/22/the-space-after-death-in-allods-online/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/22/the-space-after-death-in-allods-online/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/22/the-space-after-death-in-allods-online/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

To be or not to be, that is the question -- whether 'tis nobler in Allods Online to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous aggro, or to take up arms against a sea of mobs, and by opposing, end them. To die, to sleep -- to sleep, perchance to enter Purgatory. Aye, there's the rub -- for in that sleep of death what penalties may come when we have shuffled off this mortal server must give us pause.

The most recent bit of news out of Astrum Nival's upcoming free-to-play MMO Allods Online concerns the nature of death, and what better way to discuss that then touching upon Hamlet? Well, perhaps actually talking about it. The short version, however, is that the inhabitants of the game consider death as a fairly irrelevant situation altogether. Elves, for instance, view it as an opportunity to create a particularly beautiful moment of their lives. Orcs take it in stride, much like losing a match of goblinoball, in the sense that there will always be another match. The reason for this rather lackadaisical attitude toward that undiscovered country from which no traveler returns is detailed in the latest bit of news, as well as gameplay effects of passing on in the game. Though reading more is not an enterprise of great pitch and moment, lose not the name of action and take the time to read it.

MassivelyThe space after death in Allods Online originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>allodsallods-onlineastrum-nivaldeath-penaltyfree-to-playgame-mechanicshamletThu, 22 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Black Prophecy Q&A explains weapon systems and combat]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/08/27/black-prophecy-qanda-explains-weapon-systems-and-combat/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/08/27/black-prophecy-qanda-explains-weapon-systems-and-combat/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/08/27/black-prophecy-qanda-explains-weapon-systems-and-combat/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,


Black Prophecy is one of the ship-based science fiction MMOs we see on the horizon, but at the same time we're not sure how long it will be before we can play it. As the game's developer, Reakktor Media, seeks a publisher, they've been dropping details about Black Prophecy here and there. Some of the info we've read comes from their "Behind the Scenes" series of in-house Q&As. The latest is with Black Prophecy's Creative Director Timo Krahl and Art Director Nick Ebenhoch.

The Q&A covers a fairly wide range of topics, from the various space station interiors players will see depending on which station feature they're using at the time, to death penalties. While there will be no permadeath in Black Prophecy, the ships players fly will take damage in a modular system. Timo says, "A ship gets 'disassembled' slowly during a fight, single ship parts can be destroyed and alter the overall values of the ship -- a ship with only one engine will become slower -- if you lose a wing the attached weapons won't be available anymore."

Continue reading Black Prophecy Q&A explains weapon systems and combat

MassivelyBlack Prophecy Q&A explains weapon systems and combat originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 27 Aug 2009 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>art-directorblack-prophecycombatcreative-directordeath-penaltygame-mechanicsinterviewsnew-titlesnick-ebenhochpvepvpreakktor-mediasci-fitimo-krahlThu, 27 Aug 2009 09:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Anti-Aliased: Yu rack disriprine]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/18/anti-aliased-yu-rack-disriprine/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/18/anti-aliased-yu-rack-disriprine/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/18/anti-aliased-yu-rack-disriprine/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,


A few nights ago, I was in one of the worst pick-up groups I have ever seen. It was World of Warcraft, we were in Halls of Lightning, and we had opened up with a dramatic wipe on the first boss. (He wasn't even in his powered mode, which surprised me.)

Valiantly, we tried the battle again, but found the same effect. Everyone looked like they had enough gear -- I had done that boss with "worse" people backing me up. Of course, while I was pondering that, the squabbling had already begun in the party. Priest blames hunter, hunter blames mage, mage blames paladin, then the paladin stops pondering why we were failing, realizes people were blaming her, and becomes flustered that someone would actually blame her for the wipe. Meanwhile, the rogue sat in stealth and went afk. Perfect party dynamics.

Before long I found myself outside of Halls of Lightning again, sitting on the steps in my pristine holy plate armor. I held up a sign that said, "Will tank 4 food," while I kept up hopes that another party would take me in. (Note: Apparently Game Informer used "Will tank 4 food" in their latest magazine, which just read 5 minutes ago, well after this article was completed. Scary.)

Party dynamics seem to be on the decline, but why? Pick-up groups were always a scary prospect, but lately they seem to have become something entirely more nightmarish. What the heck has changed?

Continue reading Anti-Aliased: Yu rack disriprine

MassivelyAnti-Aliased: Yu rack disriprine originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 18 Mar 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anti-aliasedcommunitydeath-penaltydungeonsendgameexp-lossfeaturedgroupinginstancesjoystiqfeaturespartiespartyingpenaltiespick-up-grouppugpugsquestsraidingsoloingworld-of-warcraftwowWed, 18 Mar 2009 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[E308: Matt Wilson briefs us on the state of The Agency]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/21/e308-matt-wilson-briefs-us-on-the-state-of-the-agency/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/21/e308-matt-wilson-briefs-us-on-the-state-of-the-agency/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/21/e308-matt-wilson-briefs-us-on-the-state-of-the-agency/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,


We had a fantastic chance to talk with Matt Wilson about The Agency during E3. While a great deal of the footage they showed was largely identical to the footage we'd previously seen, many of Matt's insights about the direction they're taking The Agency in were quite illuminating. From PvP to operatives to vehicular combat and the eventual beta, Matt was generous enough with both his time and knowledge, and let us in on lots of great news and background.

If you've been hungry for more information on some of the different aspects of this upcoming game, be sure to join us after the break for a great overview on this hot upcoming SOE property.

Continue reading E308: Matt Wilson briefs us on the state of The Agency

MassivelyE308: Matt Wilson briefs us on the state of The Agency originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 21 Jul 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>barclubdeath-penaltye3-2008e308featuredfinancial-modeljoystiqfeaturesmatt-wilsonmicrotransactionmmofpsnew-titlesnpcpartyps3shootersoesoe-seattlesubscriptionthe-agencyvehicle-combatMon, 21 Jul 2008 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Evolved: EVE Online PvP vs Age of Conan PvP]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/08/eve-evolved-eve-online-pvp-vs-age-of-conan-pvp/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/08/eve-evolved-eve-online-pvp-vs-age-of-conan-pvp/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/08/eve-evolved-eve-online-pvp-vs-age-of-conan-pvp/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,


Before I started playing Age of Conan, I had a very strict mindset on how a PvP MMO should and shouldn't work. From my experiences in EVE Online, I was convinced that good open world PvP was not possible with a level system or exotic gear. I was pleasantly surprised to find that although these games are worlds apart, their PvP styles both work and are both fun. In this article, I compare and contrast my PvP experiences so far in Age of Conan with those in EVE Online.

Open world PvP:
One of the main features of both EVE and Age of Conan is an open world PvP scheme that allows players to attack each other anywhere within reason. Age of Conan achieves this scheme by designating certain zones as PvP areas. These areas contain the monsters and quest targets required to level up, making players to put themselves at risk to reap the rewards of levelling up quickly. Towns and the areas around them are designated safe areas where PvP is physically impossible.

Read on as I discuss important PvP issues ranging from death penalty and group gameplay to equipment types and game server model.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: EVE Online PvP vs Age of Conan PvP

MassivelyEVE Evolved: EVE Online PvP vs Age of Conan PvP originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 08 Jun 2008 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanccpdeathdeath-penaltyevefeaturedfuncomgeargroupjoystiqfeatureslootpvprisk-vs-rewardserverSun, 08 Jun 2008 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The death penalty and you]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/31/the-death-penalty-and-you/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/31/the-death-penalty-and-you/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/31/the-death-penalty-and-you/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


No no no, we're not talking about that death penalty. We're talking about the MMO death penalties that seem to cause people to outright quit games. It's a tedious line between what's a good death penalty and what's a bad one; and no one seems to have found the perfect fit just yet.

Snipehunter at Dopass.com has the opinion that Age of Conan's tombstone debuff death penalty is too punishing. His argument is that applying a debuff to a player just means that their chances of successfully removing the tombstone from where they died (and subsequently removing the debuff) are now worse. If they couldn't kill the monster the first time round, how can they kill it with the debuff in place?

Continue reading The death penalty and you

MassivelyThe death penalty and you originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 31 May 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanaocdeath-penaltydopass.comfuncomgame-designgame-mechanicspenaltysnipehunterSat, 31 May 2008 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Anti-Aliased: Crime and punishment in MMOs]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/29/anti-aliased-crime-and-punishment-in-mmos/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/29/anti-aliased-crime-and-punishment-in-mmos/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/29/anti-aliased-crime-and-punishment-in-mmos/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

You're grinding in World of Warcraft's Stranglethorn Vale (voted most ganktastic by our friends at WoW Insider) when a level 70 druid finds it hilarious to moonfire your lowbie buttocks and camp your corpse for the next eight hours. You're grinding in Lineage II when suddenly someone completely rips you apart with Demon Sword Zariche, and the proceeds to do it over and over again. Face of Mankind players saw the days of other players killing player character police officers "just because it was fun and easy". Final Fantasy XI players dealt with the controversy of monster player killing, known as an MPK. Diablo had the problem of people raising you, killing you, raising you, killing you, raising you, killing you, raising you, killing you... I think you got the point.

Griefing is a problem in MMOs -- a very big problem. As more users enter our wonderful worlds of fantasy and intrigue, more and more of them think it's hilarious to make others suffer and waste time. So why is this phenomenon occuring, and what can developers do about it?

Continue reading Anti-Aliased: Crime and punishment in MMOs

MassivelyAnti-Aliased: Crime and punishment in MMOs originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 29 May 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanaocblizzardccpcrimedeath-penaltydiabloeveeve-onlineface-of-mankindfeaturedffxifinal-fantasy-xifomfuncomgriefingjanoff-bulmanjerksjoystiqfeatureslegal-systemlineage-2ncsoftojomprisonpsychologysocial-psychologysquare-enixworld-of-warcraftwowThu, 29 May 2008 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Player vs. Everything: Rebuilding EverQuest]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/15/player-vs-everything-rebuilding-everquest/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/15/player-vs-everything-rebuilding-everquest/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/15/player-vs-everything-rebuilding-everquest/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Ask any MMOG player about EverQuest, and you'll get one of three responses: either they loved it, they hated it, or they didn't play it (and don't want to). Nobody thinks that it was just a mediocre game, and a lot of people look back fondly on their time there, warts and all. There were a lot of warts. When I was chatting with Scott Hartsman at this year's IMGDC, he explained to me that EverQuest was rife with any number of "pain points" which later games were able to identify, fix, and build upon to make their own game better. Taking most of what was good about EverQuest and cutting most of what was bad was one of the things that helped World of Warcraft dethrone the game and take its seat as the number one MMORPG on the market.

However, not everyone agrees with all of the "improvements" that Blizzard made to the genre when they created WoW. The arguments over what should and shouldn't be left out of a great MMORPG continue to this day, and there's no quick and easy guide to what's MMOG gold. Plenty of companies are learning the hard way that cloning World of Warcraft isn't a winning strategy. It's a great game, but that doesn't mean it's the only way to play. My question for you all today is this: What if instead of EverQuest 2, Sony had given us EverQuest 2.0? EverQuest 2 was a spiritual successor at best to the original game (Vanguard is much closer to an actual sequel). If SOE had remade the DikuMUD-inspired world of Norrath, set in the same time period, with an updated graphics engine and the pain points fixed differently than WoW chose to do, what might it have looked like? More importantly, is it something you'd want to play?

Continue reading Player vs. Everything: Rebuilding EverQuest

MassivelyPlayer vs. Everything: Rebuilding EverQuest originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 15 May 2008 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>classesclassicdeath-penaltyeverquesteverquest-2featuredgame-designpain-pointsplayer-vs-everythingremakesoloinguser-interfacevanguardwarhammer-onlineworld-of-warcraftThu, 15 May 2008 17:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Player vs. Everything: Fear is the missing ingredient]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/14/player-vs-everything-fear-is-the-missing-ingredient/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/14/player-vs-everything-fear-is-the-missing-ingredient/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/14/player-vs-everything-fear-is-the-missing-ingredient/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

When I was playing EverQuest in the Kunark-era days there was one item that stood head and shoulders above all the others for me: the Fungus Covered Scale Tunic (affectionately called "The Fungi"). It was the ultimate twink item, allowing you to regain your health at a rate unheard of in the days when long rest periods between each minor battle were the norm for solo players. The Fungi was something I lusted after, wished for, and dreamed of, but I was never able to actually lay hands on it during those days, due to the extreme difficulty of obtaining one. If you wanted one, you had to take a full party of maximum level characters into an exceedingly dangerous area, far from the reaches of civilization, and fight your way to a rare spawn deep in the ruined city of Old Sebilis. Very rarely, he would drop the prized Fungi, which you could then pass on to your low-level alts or sell on the open market for hundreds of thousands of platinum pieces.

Other than the fact that it was a fantastic twink item, what made the Fungi so compelling? It was that you really had to risk something to get it. EverQuest, with it's naked corpse runs, experience loss on death, and horribly dangerous dungeons, made adventuring into a real adventure. Getting to Old Sebilis required traveling across several dangerous and hostile jungle zones in the forgotten continent of Kunark, far from the nearest hub of civilization. Dying in the depths of Old Sebilis was a sickeningly punishing experience in those days -- something you avoided at all costs. When a battle started going sour, you could feel your hackles rising, panic setting in, and a real sense of fear that made victory that much sweeter and death a soul-crushing experience. Is that sense of fear something we're missing out on in the modern MMOG?

Continue reading Player vs. Everything: Fear is the missing ingredient

MassivelyPlayer vs. Everything: Fear is the missing ingredient originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 14 May 2008 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adventuredeathdeath-penaltyeverquestexplorationfearfeaturedgame-designplayer-vs-everythingrisktravelworld-of-warcraftzonesWed, 14 May 2008 16:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Age of Conan's Kalanthes answers first round of questions]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/21/kalanthes-answers-first-round-of-questions/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/21/kalanthes-answers-first-round-of-questions/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/21/kalanthes-answers-first-round-of-questions/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Our curiosity spiked last month when the Age of Conan team presented their Ask Kalanthes advice column concept. We have to admit that a chunk of our time was dedicated to wondering just what kinds of questions they were going to be answering -- and in what way. Thankfully, we no longer have to guess as the first round of answers have been posted today.

It turns out that the column is an interesting blend of straight-up game related answers and in-character Kalanthes-style answers. While the first column seems to focus heavily on Age of Conan questions, there are a couple of pretty interesting of-the-wall questions as well. We've always wondered what that little square hairdo was about, too.

Continue reading Age of Conan's Kalanthes answers first round of questions

MassivelyAge of Conan's Kalanthes answers first round of questions originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 21 Mar 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanaocask-kalanthesdeath-penaltyfuncomFri, 21 Mar 2008 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[You ask, Cryptic answers: Non-combat skills]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/15/you-ask-cryptic-answers-non-combat-skills/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/15/you-ask-cryptic-answers-non-combat-skills/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/15/you-ask-cryptic-answers-non-combat-skills/#commentsFiled under: , ,

There are many reasons why Cryptic Studios is awesome, one of those reasons is for letting us all live out our superhero fantasies -- the other is because of how involved they are with the community. When other developers are eschewing the very medium which subscribers and fans can get intimate with developers -- Cryptic is doing everything they can to make great use of it.

Recently, forum posters on the official Champions Online boards where given a stickied thread where they could hurl as many questions as they wanted at Cryptic. After the proper amount of question firing was complete (probably somewhere around or beyond the 100 range) select few questions were answered in length and the entire thing was posted to the main page on the official CO website. It's all very exciting!

Continue reading You ask, Cryptic answers: Non-combat skills

MassivelyYou ask, Cryptic answers: Non-combat skills originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 15 Mar 2008 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>arch-nemesisask-crypticchampions-onlinecrypticdeath-penaltyfeaturedhero-systemnemesisnon-combat-skillssupermanx-menSat, 15 Mar 2008 10:30:00 EST